Once in a lifetime opportunity to see A Satire of the Three Estates

26 April 2013

Come along to the historic setting of Linlithgow Palace Peel for the unique opportunity to see the first ever full-length production of Sir David Lyndsay’s drama, A Satire of the Three Estates, performed in its original format for the first time since 1554.

The play, directed by Gregory Thompson, will be performed by professional actors in its entirety on June 7th, 8th and 9th at Linlithgow Palace Peel from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm (including an interval).

Alison Stalker, Assistant Events Manager at Historic Scotland said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the full-length version of Sir David Lyndsay’s epic play of Scottish politics and reform.”

“If you are coming along to the full length production which is taking place in the stunning outdoor location of the Linlithgow Palace Peel, bring along a picnic and enjoy an afternoon of drama.”

There will also be hour long Interlude performances based on the original play performed in the Great Halls at Linlithgow Palace and Stirling Castle on Tuesday 11 June at Linlithgow Palace and Thursday 13th June at Stirling Castle.

The Interlude performed on Thursday 13th June in the magnificent setting of Stirling Castle’s Great Hall, will take place from 6:30 – 9.30 pm with the performance lasting one hour. Alison continued: “This is a unique chance to experience the production Interlude, an experimental drama which will attempt to reconstruct the ‘lost’ Linlithgow Interlude of 1540 using surviving letters and fragments of original drama embedded in the later Satire of the Three Estates performed in 1554.

“The evening at Stirling Castle will be the finale of the run, which will also include full length outdoor performances at Linlithgow Palace, and tickets include a drinks reception at Stirling Castle before the main performance with the opportunity to take an exclusive evening visit of the beautifully refurbished Royal Palace apartments.”

These performances are part of a two-year project supported by Historic Scotland with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The project is set to throw the spotlight on this satirical political drama penned more than 400 years ago. It allows researchers from the universities of Edinburgh, Brunel, Southampton and Glasgow to delve below the surface of these plays and explore how far each play might have been shaped by the spaces where they were performed.

Event information:

This event is not recommended for children.

Please note that this is an outdoor event and no seating is supplied. Please bring along something lawn friendly to sit on and be prepared for inclement weather.

Due to licensing restrictions alcohol is not permitted at the performance and any alcohol on site will be confiscated.

Please note there will be no parking available at Linlithgow Palace for this event. Pay and display parking is available at the Vennel car park located close to the venue. Parking is available at Stirling Castle.

Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament.

2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland, inspiring our people and our visitors to celebrate Scotland’s outstanding natural beauty, landscapes and biodiversity as Scotland prepares to welcome the world in 2014 and beyond. Find out more about Scotland’s outstanding natural beauty at www.visitscotland.com/natural